E-Business
Revisiting the Online Shopping, Food Ordering Culture of the Pandemic Era
By Victor George
The CoV-2 Virus, known as the Delta Variant, is rapidly sweeping across the globe. This new variant appears to spread faster, cause more severe disease and is more likely to result in hospitalization.
First detected in India, it has now reached 132 countries and territories. “Delta is a warning: it’s a warning that the virus is evolving but it is also a call to action that we need to move now before more dangerous variants emerge,” the WHO’s emergencies director Michael Ryan told a press conference.
It was in the Wuhan city of China that first cases of the coronavirus were found in December 2019. It has spread across the globe since then.
The latest outbreak in China was first found in Jiangsu in June, and officials blamed the highly transmissible Delta strain for it. Soon after the outbreak, local authorities ramped up nucleic acid screening tests in a bid to detect positive cases at the earliest possible stage.
Curbs were also imposed on the movement of people in the region, with long-distance and tour bus routes halted. What is left of economic activities are highly regulated delivery services, majorly those based on food supply.
E-commerce platforms and delivery agents who sustained essential services in the heights of global lockdown are back to the rescue. One won’t forget in a hurry how the services of the likes of Jumia led essential delivery services to thousands of homes in Nigeria at the time.
In Africa, 17 countries have reported the Delta variant. The variant is causing the worst wave of COVID seen thus far on the continent.
As disclosed by the World Health Organization, the Delta variant has spiked Covid-19 deaths in Africa by 80% in one month. Ghana, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe are on the list of most hit on the continent.
On Thursday 8th July, the Nigerian government said a case of the dangerous delta variant has been recorded in a traveller in the country. A statement issued by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) noted that the development raises a grave concern. The country has so far recorded 32 cases of the variant in 5 states.
To keep the new variant in check, the Covid-19 Presidential Task Force has warned Nigerians to stick to the existing distancing and hygiene protocols.
Failure to abide by these guidelines will result in rapid increase which might lead to another phase of restrictions, and ultimately a lockdown. The latter is what many Nigerians cannot afford right now, as several businesses are just about picking up again from the brunt of the past months.
One of the ways to preserve free movement and economic activities is to revisit some of the online shopping culture of the pandemic era. For those who have returned to their physical shopping culture, it is time to reenact that Covid-19 precaution mood.
The likes of Jumia Food provide a wide range of options for groceries and beverages. Partnering with the notable fast food and local restaurants in the country, the Jumia platform offers food shopping options from safety.
To reduce the risk of infections, a report has it that many Ghanaians have switched to shopping for essential items online, on Jumia. The shopping platform also makes available essential items such as beverages, sanitary items, household items, home and kitchen supplies.
In addition, the report said groceries are becoming the topmost category where many consumers shop on online platforms such as Jumia Food. The regular vegetables, fruits and other grocery items are now purchased online and delivered fresh ensuring the safety of Ghanaians all over the country.
In some parts of Australia where only about 14% of the population is vaccinated, the third-largest city of Brisbane and other parts of Queensland state are now in a snap COVID-19 lockdown as a cluster of the Delta variant churns up new cases.
Residents are turning to online shopping and delivery services for daily essentials. The citizens of Ireland have also been asked to limit contact activities as much as they can, unless it becomes extremely necessary.
Using ecommerce services has become a way out, especially for food and other essentials. Recently, China’s leading e-commerce platform for services, Meituan, has ramped up R&D and its implementation of unmanned delivery robots and drones for its food delivery service, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, the variant is now responsible for more than 80% of infections in the United States, largely among unvaccinated people, already fueling new outbreaks in states such as Missouri, Nevada and Arkansas.
Also, Ireland delayed plans to reopen indoor dining and Hong Kong restricted incoming flights from Britain, where Delta is widespread.
Also in the wake of the fast spreading variant, Italy announced that it would begin requiring either proof of vaccination or a recent, negative test in order to dine indoors, visit museums or participate in other activities.
It is thus advisable on the home front that while we all go about our daily activities, contact limitation and social distancing can still be achieved. There are several offices with a tradition of ordering lunch for staff on the Jumia Food platform.
Other companies can take a leaf from this. It saves work time and also helps keep staff safe while at work. Away from the workplace, individuals should also revisit the online shopping culture, especially for groceries and other home essentials.
Avoiding crowded places remains key to limiting the spread of covid-19 and its more lethal Delta variant. E-commerce was crucial to limiting the spread of the virus in the heat of the first wave, and still remains a vital tool for all, as we strive to overcome a third wave led by the more deadly Delta variant.
Victor George is a student of Yaba College of Technology, Lagos
Nigeria has taken a major step toward strengthening its digital governance framework as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) officially assumes control of the Nigeria Government Enterprise Architecture (NGEA) infrastructure.
The handover ceremony held in Abuja, marks the culmination of a high-level partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
This transition signals a shift from fragmented IT projects to a unified, disciplined approach to national digital investment.
The NGEA initiative forms a core part of the e-Government Masterplan 2.0 (Ne-GMP 2.0), aimed at establishing a unified and structured approach to managing government IT investments and digital resources.
The framework is designed to ensure that technology deployment across public institutions aligns with national priorities while improving efficiency and accountability.
With the system now operational, government agencies are expected to adopt more integrated digital processes, allowing seamless data sharing and interoperability.
This is anticipated to reduce duplication, strengthen risk management, and translate policy objectives into measurable digital outcomes.
Over the past two and a half years, Nigerian technical experts worked closely with their Korean counterparts to develop the architecture framework, create reference models, and execute pilot programmes in key institutions.
These include the National Identity Management Commission, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and NITDA.
Officials say the NGEA represents a shift from fragmented digital efforts to a more coordinated, citizen-focused system.
The infrastructure is hosted by Galaxy Backbone Limited, providing a secure and reliable platform for nationwide deployment.
Looking ahead, NITDA is expected to work with government stakeholders to expand and sustain the system, while the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy will provide policy guidance to ensure its adoption across the country.
Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has said the government is shifting focus from expanding access to ensuring “meaningful connectivity” that drives economic growth and inclusion.
Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy
The minister made the statement on Friday while addressing stakeholders at the inauguration of board members of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) in Abuja.
He said that although Nigeria had made significant progress since the introduction of GSM services, millions of people, particularly in rural and underserved communities, remain either unconnected or unable to fully benefit from digital services.
Dr Tijani highlighted ongoing investments in digital infrastructure, including plans to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic network and nearly 4,000 telecom towers nationwide.
He said initiatives under the USPF had improved access through projects such as rural connectivity and digital facilities in schools but stressed that the next phase must prioritise effective usage.
“It is not enough to connect a community. We must ensure that schools can teach with digital tools and that small businesses can access market opportunities,” he said, citing a pilot project in the Kura community where connectivity has enhanced access to communication, education and healthcare.
Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also called for a shift towards meaningful connectivity, noting that while data usage had grown significantly, it remained concentrated in urban areas.
According to him, recent data shows that telecom usage has increased by about 160% over the past two years, largely driven by urban demand.
“When we drill down, we see that a lot of that growth is actually in urban centres. So, the gap between those who are not connected or not meaningfully connected is growing,” he said.
Dr Maida added that the trend underscored the need for the USPF board to intensify efforts to bridge both access and usage gaps across the country.
Both officials emphasised the importance of collaboration, sustainable investment models and improved digital literacy to ensure that connectivity translates into real economic benefits for Nigerians.
A jury in Los Angeles has found technology companies, Meta and Google liable for contributing to a young woman’s social media addiction, in a case being described as a landmark ruling.
The 20-year-old woman, identified only as Kaley, argued that she became addicted to Google’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram from an early age due to their attention-driven design features.
According to her testimony, she began using YouTube at the age of six after downloading the app on her iPod Touch to watch videos about lip gloss and online games.
Kaley told the court that she joined Instagram at nine, bypassing parental restrictions put in place by her mother, and spent extended periods on social media.
The trial, which lasted about a month, with arguments and evidence from both sides.
Jurors also heard testimony from Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive, Meta and Adam Mosseri, Instagram head.
However, Neal Mohan, YouTube chief executive, did not testify.
The jury found that the companies were negligent in the design of their platforms and failed to adequately warn users about potential harms. Meta and Google were ordered to pay the woman $3 million in damages.
Jurors also recommended additional punitive damages, including $900,000 against YouTube and $2.1 million against Meta, according to company spokespersons.
The jury apportioned 70 per cent of the responsibility to Meta and 30 per cent to YouTube.
Kaley was present in the courtroom when the verdict was delivered, alongside parents of other teenagers who say they were harmed by social media use. Both companies said they plan to appeal the decision.
“We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal. Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online”, a Meta spokesperson said.
José Castañeda, Google spokesperson, said the case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site.
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